Jaye Robin Brown's Blog, page 2

Thoughts on the launch of No Place To Fall & songs by Indigo DeSouza! Plus: GIVEAWAY!

Sad, sorrowful little neglected blog. I do love you, I do. But you see, I've been in labor, in the final countdown for the push of NO PLACE TO FALL out into the world. And it finally happened!

December 9th came grey and overcast with a threat of snow in the forecast. I started my day like always, by writing and going to work. I taught my first two classes and then through the generosity of some colleagues, I skipped out for the latter half of the day to go get ready for my 7pm launch party at...

A Possible List of Things I Might Have Done

Upon receipt of my advance hardcover copy of NO PLACE TO FALL in my mailbox yesterday morning.


giggledcriedgiggled againgrinned like a Bansheecarried it like a prize into workworn a secret smileshown it to some colleagues while laughing maniacally and saying, "oh my effing god, I wrote a book. Look. I wrote a book."held it up to the sky and whispered, "I wrote a book, bitches."sniffed every pageundressed itthrust the spine in peoples' faces. "Look the ink is shiny." Look the cover is embossed....

Get to Know Kristin Reynolds - My 2014 Pitchwars Mentee - Author of LE CIRQUE DU LITERATI

With my second year as a mentor in Pitchwars, I entered the contest excited and hopeful and curious, oh so curious, about which manuscripts would claw their way into my heart and not let go.

The two that I found, couldn't be more different in tone and writing style, but what they share is a common language of finding personal truths, love, hope, and a slathering of bittersweet despair.

Kristin Reynold's manuscript, LE CIRQUE DU LITERATI, blew me away with its poetic turns of phrase, mind-blowin...

Get to Know April Rose Carter - My 2014 PitchWars Alternate - Author of WINTER ON BRIMSTONE HILL

With my second year as a mentor in Pitchwars, I entered the contest excited and hopeful and curious, oh so curious, about which manuscripts would claw their way into my heart and not let go.

The two that I found couldn't be more different in tone and writing style, but what they share is a common language of finding personal truths, love, hope, and a slathering of bittersweet despair.

April Rose's manuscript, WINTER ON BRIMSTONE HILL, is this spare lovely gift of a contemporary manuscript. Cen...

2014 Contemporary Scavenger Hunt with Liz Czukas!!!!

I'm so excited to have Liz Czukas on the blog today for the 2014 Contemporary Scavenger Hunt. Liz is the author of not one, but two contemporary novels published by Harper Teen! ASK AGAIN LATER and TOP TEN CLUES YOU'RE CLUELESS (coming December 2014). And if you read down, you'll find out the pretty amazing prize you might win!


Liz Czukas is a freelance writer (on sometimes sad or boring topics), and also writes books for young adults (which are rarely sad and full of kissing).  Before th...

YASH Scavenger Hunt! Welcome to Team Orange and Suzanne Lazear's Extra Content!!

Bam! You're here because you are a dedicated reader of YA fiction and are in search of great new reads! Right? Right! So let's not dilly dally - if you're not familiar with the Hunt - then pop over HERE for all the details.

This site (and me, coincidentally) are part of TEAM ORANGE.

What's really unbelievable—this year there are six teams in the hunt. Six ways to win incredible prize packages and read tons of fun extra content!!
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to al...

A Conversation with Joshua Bellin, Author of SURVIVAL COLONY NINE

Joshua Bellin, author of SURVIVAL COLONY NINE
Hi Josh! I'm so glad you could stop by in the days leading up to your release. So how's the debut whirlwind been? Highlights? Parts that were difficult?
Hi JRo! Thanks for inviting me to chat. The months leading up to my release have been totally crazy: working with my editor and publicist, planning my launch party, responding to interview requests--and all this while trying to live a halfway normal life with my wife and kids. Some of the best mome...

Read Aloud Challenge

My "friend" (can I call her that after this?), Kelsey Macke, author of Damsel Distressed, challenged me on YouTube to do a read aloud challenge from my book.

I figured it'd be good practice. So hear I am, in all my Sunday slouching glory, reading from NO PLACE TO FALL. Enjoy!

Falling in Love: #PitchWars, Selections, and the genesis of #TeamGrit

It's been a few days since Pitchwars decisions were announced and I still haven't quite recovered from the sheer IT of it. This was my second year as a mentor and if it seemed huge last year, it was super huge this year. More authors, more mentors, more hopes and dreams and competition - more organization on both sides.

The amazing Dan Koboldt put together this groovy entry form that was directed straight to each of the four selected mentors inboxes. This kept Gmail from crashing, but also pre...

My Office!!

Ages ago I posted about renovating a room into a real writer's office. It is finally 90% done! The only things missing are the desk part for my treadmill, to have a few art pieces framed to hang, and a pendant lamp for the corner near the cork board. Oh, and a new shade for my current lamp. My best find was the brand new, still in the package, curtain rod for $5 from the Habitat for Humanity store. My 4' x 5' white board was made from a $16 piece of shower board and my cute rug came from Over...